A new direct air route linking Haikou, capital city of south China's Hainan Province, with Osaka, Japan was launched Tuesday.

The maiden flight departed from Haikou Meilan International Airport on Tuesday morning. It is the city's second direct flight to Japan, following the route from Haikou to Tokyo that opened in February this year.

Operated by Hainan Airlines, the new air route will run flights every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

The outbound flight takes off from Haikou at 8:05 a.m. and arrives at Osaka's Kansai International Airport at 1:25 p.m. local time. The return flight departs from Osaka at 2:30 p.m. local time and arrives at Haikou Meilan International Airport at 6:20 p.m.

Haikou Meilan International Airport plans to open more international routes, including flights to London and Jakarta, as Hainan is building itself into a regional hub facing the Pacific and Indian oceans.